Too Many Napkins
by Alissie
Summary: All-Muggle; what happens when the Weasley cousins are in Victoire's new house and the power goes out? Silly, fluffy one-shot.


Rose sprawled out on the floor, her limbs falling in odd angles. Lorcan, still chasing his brother, leapt over her twisted torso, dripping water on her as he went. Lysander had already reached the safety of the couch and held up a pillow to fend off the impending attack of his twin.

"Perfect," snapped Victoire from the doorway. Her golden hair hung in clumps down her back and was quickly creating a puddle at her feet. "This is just _perfect_."

"Don't complain," groaned Dominique, Victoire's younger sister. "It's only rain. It'll go away soon enough."

"But my party—"

"You can have another party," said Louis, the youngest of the three. "You'd think we'd have blown the place up or something, the way you're acting."

James gave Louis a conspiratorial glance. By Rose's guess, the two of them had been planning something nasty for after the cake was served. Fortunately, the downpour had effectively cancelled their scheming.

Hearing the telltale giggles, Rose rolled out of the way of Lily, who bounded into the room. She laughed with delight as Hugo chased her.

"I should have never tried this," said Victoire with a moan. "Teddy and I aren't enough to keep all of you little devils under control."

Teddy came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I've cleared everything away," he said lightly. "Food in the kitchen, Luna's cake in the fridge, and children in the—"

With an audible pop, all the lights in the room went dark.

Lily screamed shrilly.

"It's okay, Lily," said James, unusually caring. "It's just the power. It'll come back any minute."

"I want Mum and Dad!" she whimpered.

"I'll go check the fuse box," offered Teddy. "Everyone, just stay where you are and I'll be right back."

His footsteps echoed through the kitchen and down the stairs into the basement. Once they stopped, the others began to whisper.

"I don't like the dark, James."

"Don't worry, Lil, we're all right here."

"Something's on my foot!"

"That was me," admitted Hugo. "Sorry."

Rose twisted a section of her hair as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She could see Victoire, still leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. James was calming Lily down next to Dominique and Louis. More importantly, however, Lorcan and Lysander had disappeared.

"Where'd the twins go?" she whispered, her words hissing through the still air.

"Oh, who knows," huffed Victoire. "Dominique, can you call Mama from your cell?"

"I left it at home," said her sister guiltily. "I was up calling Cameron all night—"

"You are all so _useless_!" exclaimed Victoire. "Does no one here have a phone?"

"Well, it's not the fuse box."

Lily let out another small shriek at the loud voice. No one had heard Teddy return upstairs.

"Victoire," he continued, "we should go get your parents. Really, we should get _all_ of their parents to come take them home. I think the party's over for the night."

Victoire sighed. "They're over at Luna and Rolf's," she said. "Come on, then, we'll take the Astro."

Rose could barely make out the outline of Teddy's head as he nodded.

"We'll be back soon," he told the others. "Try to find candles, if you can. Stay together, and don't open the door for anyone. Understand?"

"Got it," said Louis. "Don't miss us too much."

Victoire huffed. "Not a chance. Come on, Ted."

James waited until they heard the front door close before bursting out into laughter. "Let's get this party started!"

He bounced off the couch and headed for the stairs.

"Lorcan, Lysander, where'd ya go?"

One twin—it was impossiuible to tell them apart in the dark—slid down the banister. The other walked down the stairs calmly; Rose reckoned it had to be Lysander. Lorcan was the more daring of the pair.

"No need to break the place," scoffed Dominique. "Victoire would be so sad if we wrecked her shiny new house."

"Better than her shiny new marriage," her brother retorted. "They're just having some fun. No need to freak."

The twins hopped back onto the couch. Lorcan, slighter than Lysander by a hair, shook the water from his locks. He splattered Lysander, Louis, and a squealing Lily.

"No candles upstairs," he declared. "No power to the phone line either."

"I still want Mum," complained Lily as if the others had forgotten about her.

Dominique leaned against the arm of the couch. "There's nothing we can do in a storm like this, anyway," she said glumly. "I mean, what can you do with the power out?"

Lorcan looked at James with a wide grin.

"Oh," said James, "you'll see…."

"I still don't think this is a good idea," said Hugo, shifting nervously on the stool.

Lily giggled gleefully. "It's gonna be _fun_!" she squealed. "Don't complain, it's gonna turn out great!"

Hugo looked less than convinced.

"Now hold still," ordered Lorcan, snipping the scissors in the air manically. "This won't hurt a bit."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Hugo shivered as Lorcan put a bowl over his head. It fit snugly, and his hair stuck flat to his head.

Rose was perched on another stool, drinking a cut of water. She liked the reassuring patter of the rain against the large kitchen windows, which looked out onto the soaked yard. The expansive tent still stood, though it was battered by rain and wind.

Chips and sandwich platters lay abandoned on the table. Rose munched on a bowl of Cheetos as Lorcan began snipping at the ends of Hugo's hair.

"Just for the record," she said, "I don't think this is a good idea either."

"Hush," said Lily, "you'll scare him. Hugo, it looks great!"

"I have a bowl on my head," he said flatly.

"I need some more light," said Lorcan, setting the scissors down. "Rose, can I have some paper?"

Rose looked around. The moon shone through the window, lighting the room in odd places. Finally, she found a stack of paper napkins.

"Perfect," said Lorcan. "Set them on the stove there."

He pulled a book of matches out of his back pocket. Once Rose was clear of the stove, Lorcan struck the match and lit the stack of napkins on fire.

Lily squealed and clapped her hands. Rose returned to her seat, eying the small fire warily. The flames were making quick work of the thin paper.

Lorcan saw that he only had a few moments of flickering light left. Quickly, he snatched up the scissors and continued to follow the curved edges of the bowl around Hugo's head.

"Just another moment or two…" he said absently as he snipped another chunk of Hugo's hair off. "You said you wanted a haircut, didn't you?"

"Not in the dark!"

Rose felt bad for her younger brother. He was only just thirteen and not at all a fan of the dark.

"And…done!"

Lorcan whipped the bowl off of Hugo's head, tossing the plastic towards the sink. It bounced off and landed on the floor. Rose was too distracted by Hugo to pick it up.

"Well?" said Hugo, looking around the room. "What do you think?"

His hair hung in jagged pieces around his face the back was a bit better, falling in an even curve that mirrored the one of the bowl.

"It needs a bit of finishing," admitted Lorcan. "Just stay put and I'll just—"

An orb of light dashed across the floor, followed by a dark blur. The blur followed the orb around the room in a circle before leaping onto Hugo's lap.

"What the—Rose!"

The dark blur, once settled, turned out to be Mina, Rose's cat. Rose swept her into her arms, murmuring reassurances.

James and Louis entered the room with a flashlight hanging from Louis' fingertips.

"Look what we found," said Louis haughtily. "Mina's been going crazy, chasing that light."

James laughed as Rose glared at them.

"Find something else to amuse yourselves with," she snapped. "Mina is not a toy."

Louis shrugged. "Fine by me. Oh, and nice hair, Hugo."

The boys left the room, both chuckling.

"It's fine, Hugo," said Rose reassuringly. Hugo's face had acquired a pinched look that Rose recognized as worry. "Really, just let Lorcan finish you up."

She sat and pet a restless Mina, who kept trying to break free. The cat did not like the unfamiliar house, and probably didn't take kindly to James and Louis' antics.

"You look _dashing_," assessed Lily with glee. "You could start a band with that look."

Hugo glared at his cousin. "Ha-ha," he laughed grimly. "Very funny."

"Stop squirming," ordered Lorcan.

"I was being serious," said Lily, obviously hurt. "I think it's a good look for you."

Before Hugo could answer, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," said Rose automatically. Mina jumped off her lap as she stood.

"No you won't," said Hugo. "Remember what Victoire and Teddy said?"

The doorbell rang again.

"Well, they can just bugger off," muttered Rose to herself. To Hugo, she said, "I doubt it's someone we don't know. What if it's Mum and Dad? They might have crossed paths with Victoire and Teddy."

Hugo glared, but Rose was resolute. She passed through the living room, where Dominique was dozing on the couch, to the front door. Opening it, she saw a familiar dripping-wet boy.

"Scorpius!" she cried with a grin. "Come on in. Wipe your feet, now, or Victoire will have your head. Gosh, you're soaking!"

"I walked here from my house," he explained, removing his dripping overcoat. "Where should I put this?"

"I'd put it back on, if I were you."

Rose turned to find the source of the angry words. It was James, standing next to Louis with his arms crossed.

"You heard me," he continued. "Out. Now."

"Not now," groaned Rose. "James, he just came over to visit me. You can stay out of this."

James sneered nastily. "Right. And I'm supposed to let some purist filth waltz into my cousin's house? Not a bloody chance."

"It's fine," said Scorpius quietly. "Rose, I'll just go."

"Then I'm going with you," she retorted hotly. "Let me get my coat."

Rose opened the closet and pulled out her black overcoat. James drew a breath to say something nasty, but Louis lay a hand on his arm and shook his head.

"Not here," he said quietly. "Come on, let her go."

Lily bounded down the hall as Rose shrugged on her coat.

"Heya, Scorp!" she said with a grin. "You staying to play cards? We were just—"

"We're just leaving, Lily," said Rose quickly. "You be good for your brother, now."

"But I want to go too!" cried Lily. "James, can I? Please?"

"No," snapped James. "Rose, if you're leaving, then go. And take the trash out with you."

Rose heard Lily's protestations as the front door closed. The rain had decreased to a heavy drizzle. She and Scorpius stepped into it before speaking.

"I'm sorry," said Rose. "Again. As usual."

Scorpius shrugged. "Ah, it's nothing," he said. "I'm used to it by now. C'mon, let's go get some ice cream."

"Ice cream?" His suggestion had confused her. "Now? Where?"

"Down at Audrey's, of course."

Audrey's Ice Cream Emporium was just up the street from Victoire and Teddy's house. It was also a convenient choice because Rose's other best friend worked there.

"Rose!" cried Albus upon seeing her enter. "Scorpius! What are you two doing here?"

"Tell them we're closed," called a voice from the back of the shop.

Albus rolled his eyes. "We lost power an hour or so ago," he explained. "Molly and Lucy put all these candles out so we could clean up."

"What's in the freezers?" asked Scorpius. "We're hungry!"

So Rose, Albus, and Scorpius sat with a tub of chocolate ice cream at one of the candle-lit tables. Rose recounted the shenanigans that had occurred at the house, and Scorpius filled his friends in on his day.

When Molly finally kicked the three out of the shop, they slowly walked back towards Victoire's house. They knew something was wrong when the first fire truck passed.

"Don't stop at Victoire's house, don't stop at—oh, hell."

They stood across the street as the house emptied. The sound of the fire alarm overlapped the wail of the sirens.

Lorcan crossed the street to where Rose stood with Albus and Scorpius.

"Too many napkins," he said ruefully. "Too many napkins.…"


End file.
